Hibs deadline day Q&A: Kyle Magennis finally signs, demand for new striker and will there be any late bids for players?

The EEN football team answer your questions on what the rest of deadline day has in store – plus more ...
Kevin Nisbet has impressed for Hibs since joining from Dunfermline.Kevin Nisbet has impressed for Hibs since joining from Dunfermline.
Kevin Nisbet has impressed for Hibs since joining from Dunfermline.

Q: How much did we end up spending on Kyle Magennis?

A: The fee will be put down as undisclosed, as is the norm these days, but Hibs will have paid St Mirren a not unsubstantial amount of money for their captain. We’re probably talking around the £250k mark at least, as Jim Goodwin was convinced his board would not budge until late last week, when the offer from Hibs became too big to refuse. Hibs had money to spend on a midfielder – they were talking the same figure for Ross McCrorie before Aberdeen swooped in.

Q: Should we expect any more business from Hibs now?

A: Very, very unlikely at this stage. While Jack Ross will always want to have as many options as possible at his disposal, he is also happy to work with a tight-knit squad. It’s all about quality, not quantity. There probably isn’t much financial resource left to play with considering the financial constraints of the current pandemic.

Q: Are we not a little light in attack?

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A: There have been some grumblings from supporters about a lack of back-up to Christian Doidge and Kevin Nisbet, but it’s worth remembering that Martin Boyle can play as a forward and the club have high hopes for youngster Jamie Gullan. Ryan Shanley is also in the picture now and even Drey Wright can play as a second striker, as he did against Aberdeen. There is enough flexibility to cater for injuries/suspensions and, again, given the financial constraints on clubs right now, Hibs are adopting a quality over quantity approach.

Q: Was there any interest in some of our players?

A: There was some minor interest from a couple of clubs on the continent for Christian Doidge earlier in the window, but that never fashioned itself into a bid. Martin Boyle is admired by Celtic, Stoke City and others, but his new contract totally halted any sale plans. Goalkeeper Ofir Marciano’s form hasn’t gone unnoticed either, but Hibs are in no mood to sell. The squad is very settled and happy right now.

Q: How close is Kevin Nisbet to a Scotland call-up?

A: Not far away at all. Steve Clarke is aware of him, obviously, and given how light the country is in goals, he must be on the radar for November.

Q: Just how good can Nisbet be for Hibs?

A: The target now for him should be minimum 15 goals, perhaps even 20. He’s on six right now and he has some favourable Betfred Cup matches coming up too. He’s got an excellent attitude, runs the channels and has an eye for goal, but there’s still scope for more maturity in his game. Moreover, he needs to be a little more clinical – a hat-trick was there for him on Friday, but he missed a couple of chances. All told though, he’s made an excellent start to his Hibs career and one imagines he will only get better and better.

Q: How important has the HSL money been?

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A: Vital. It’s allowed Hibs to push the boat out when perhaps they couldn’t have done in the past.

Q: How serious is Joe Newell’s injury?

A: Jack Ross was hopeful that it was a just a minor injury to his shoulder and not a dislocation. He reckoned he might struggle the next two matches – and joked it will also keep him off the golf course for a while!

Q: Have there been any discussions yet over a new contract for Ofir Marciano?

A: If there have been any, they will be at an early stage. Marciano has been pretty coy when asked about his future and while he and his wife Shelly and son Sun love it in Edinburgh, he has spoken before about making the next step in his career. His recent form will have been picked up by other clubs and if he transfers that on to the international stage, then suitors will be forthcoming.